MPs heard that ministers intend to propose restrictions on vape advertisements and sponsorships displayed on sports clothing.
As more and more young people develop the habit of vaping, Dame Andrea Leadsom, the minister of health, said that she will be putting up recommendations to address the concerns around vape adverts. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is presently making its way through Parliament, aims to discourage young people from vaping and outlaw the sale of cigarettes to anybody born after 2009.
Legislator Kirsten Oswald has proposed a change to the law that would forbid sponsorship arrangements related to the use of nicotine-containing vape products. It aims to outlaw the promotion of vapes at sporting goods stores and on sports strips.
Dame Andrea stated she was “mindful of the Committee’s clear desire for the rules on advertising and sponsorship to be equally strong for both tobacco and vapes” during a committee meeting on the bill on Tuesday. Regarding Ms. Oswald’s amendment, she stated that she “commits right now to explore formal steps we can take to further restrict vape advertising and sponsorship”.
When asked to clarify, she said, “I would like to give the reassurance that I will be coming forward with proposals from the Government to address the issues that have been raised.”
“Having campaigned for almost two years now to raise awareness of the detrimental impact of vapes on young people and, in particular, to ban vape branding in sports, I am very pleased that the UK government has now recognised the need for action on this issue,” Ms Oswald said in response to Dame Andrea’s commitment. I’m eager to see the recommendations they have promised to make on this.
It makes sense to take action to limit children’s exposure to vapes, as this legislation wants to make vaping less appealing to young people. One way to do this is by making sure that athletes or their favourite football team cannot promote vapes, just as they cannot with cigarettes.
Since 2022, Ms. Oswald, the MP for East Renfrewshire, has been advocating for more understanding of the harmful effects of vaping on minors. She has previously criticised sponsorship agreements between vape companies and sports teams, such as the one between Totally Wicked and Blackburn Rovers.
After Ms. Oswald voiced concerns in PMQs earlier this month, Rishi Sunak declined to outlaw football jerseys with branding from vape companies. The PM stated that individual teams made judgements about advertising. This is true even though, in response to criticism from MPs, Premier League teams will no longer allow gambling sponsors to appear on the front of game-day shirts starting in the summer of 2026.
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